The idea that the two companies will opt to nerf the next-gen altogether is so far from the truth; Rest assured that both companies are preparing the launch of their new consoles

This is the kind of sentence you get when you let a random 60-year-old woman who thinks she's a "cool grandma" write your tech articles. It doesn't even make basic grammatical sense, "nerf" means to cause something to be less harmful or effective, so the "altogether" modifier turns the phrase into a non-sequitir. Plus grandma seems to think that it involves completely eschewing something, which would make the grammar work but is also hilariously incorrect.

//Nerf being the harmless foam version of something that's normally a weapon, obviously. Nerf gun, nerf dart, and everyone's favorite the nerf bat. You can still hit things with them, you just don't get the same effect.//Also a giant grazing animal somewhat like a bantha in SW:TOR, but that's a different ball of wax.

Sony can't afford another money-losing PS3 debacle, and I don't think Microsoft is in the mood to take another big hit on launch hardware, so it's likely none of the next generation consoles will be massive leaps forward.

lemurs:Sony can't afford another money-losing PS3 debacle, and I don't think Microsoft is in the mood to take another big hit on launch hardware, so it's likely none of the next generation consoles will be massive leaps forward.

hell sony's already experiencing another money losing debacle in the vita (i have one, love playing it even more than the 3ds, but i'm not delusional)

the reality is that content-delivery-convenience has trumped tech for 7 years, it's the entire reason these 7 year old consoles are still doing okay despite looking like dogshiat compared to PC gaming since 2007

the very reason people bought consoles over better tech 7 years ago-and-counting is the very same reason people are buying ipads and downloading games, the things that made the Wii so appealing are the same things that make touchscreens so appealing, etc. etc., the things that made the ps2 and wii and ds far outsell their respective competitors are still around just being used by different companies

graphics are nice and all, but the days of consoles keeping up with PC are gone, as are the days that graphics are the #1 selling point of non-PC devices, if anything the next playstation and xbox are going to downplay the importance of graphics as the sole reason to upgrade - you'll be buying the best content delivery device rather than the best tech and i think in the long run that's all people will really care about (besides, the number of times people's expectations are hurt vs. exceeded in the realm of console graphics hype usually always favors hurt)

AdamK:lemurs: Sony can't afford another money-losing PS3 debacle, and I don't think Microsoft is in the mood to take another big hit on launch hardware, so it's likely none of the next generation consoles will be massive leaps forward.

hell sony's already experiencing another money losing debacle in the vita (i have one, love playing it even more than the 3ds, but i'm not delusional)

the reality is that content-delivery-convenience has trumped tech for 7 years, it's the entire reason these 7 year old consoles are still doing okay despite looking like dogshiat compared to PC gaming since 2007

the very reason people bought consoles over better tech 7 years ago-and-counting is the very same reason people are buying ipads and downloading games, the things that made the Wii so appealing are the same things that make touchscreens so appealing, etc. etc., the things that made the ps2 and wii and ds far outsell their respective competitors are still around just being used by different companies

graphics are nice and all, but the days of consoles keeping up with PC are gone, as are the days that graphics are the #1 selling point of non-PC devices, if anything the next playstation and xbox are going to downplay the importance of graphics as the sole reason to upgrade - you'll be buying the best content delivery device rather than the best tech and i think in the long run that's all people will really care about (besides, the number of times people's expectations are hurt vs. exceeded in the realm of console graphics hype usually always favors hurt)

I disagree in part, I think graphics will play a major part still. It won't be marketed as "blast processing!!" or anything, but if there are no jumps in graphics for the next gen, then I for sure will not be buying. What would be the point? I don't need my xbox to deliver content, I get it easier through other means. I just want games, pure and simple. And if they aren't going to look better than Skyrim or RAGE, then there is absolutely no reason to buy it.

Probably not going to happen. It would require ether using simular hardware, or having things fast enough to emulate their previous gen. With Ms, that's a toss up on wither they stay power PC or not. With sony, it's just not going to happen, as there has been no new CELL related work since 2008 or so.

I'd be happy with ps3 BC in it, as the newer PC's out there can emulate it very well.

Yep, pricing issue mainly. the damn Memory card requirement isn't helping things at all. If they would bundle the cards with it, and slash their prices, they would be in better shape. Hardware wise, I did welcome the move to standard hardware as opposed to custom stuff, helps with game development. also ends up being cheaper in the long run.

Nexzus:Doubt that will happen, for Sony at least. They've seen that they can re-sell PS2 games that will play on the PS3. Although, for some they do upscale the graphics and add trophies.

It is strange, considering they didn't neuter PS1 backwards compatability, yet still sell PS1 classics on the PSN.

i think they must have to do some sort of custom emulation wrapper for each title to get them to work. Not sure why I can't just download the wrapper and use my ps2 disks though. Luckily, my 60 gig plays them fine anyways. By comparison, the ps1 is primitive as hell, and easily emulated by even weaker hardware like the psp and ps2, so the ps3 has no problem with it.

Bottom line, all I want from the next gen is 1080p at 60fps, support for 3d at 1080p 30/60, and next gen graphics api support. Keep them as open as possible, meaning bluetooth, usb, sata hard drives, etc and ease of development a priority over fancy bullet points.

sure haven't:I disagree in part, I think graphics will play a major part still. It won't be marketed as "blast processing!!" or anything, but if there are no jumps in graphics for the next gen, then I for sure will not be buying. What would be the point? I don't need my xbox to deliver content, I get it easier through other means. I just want games, pure and simple. And if they aren't going to look better than Skyrim or RAGE, then there is absolutely no reason to buy it.

I think there will be a jump, but it won't be as massive as the ps2 to ps3 or psp to vita jumps. Better textures, lighting, etc. What will be major is the subtle things, like physics, level sizes, etc, due to increased ram and more advanced processors.

Also, with third generation online networks, we may see more focus on social stuff, which even nintendo is jumping on. I think we'll also see more indie game developers publishing on their networks, if sony and ms can get their act together. Stuff like playstation mobile gives me hope for that.

sure haven't:I disagree in part, I think graphics will play a major part still. It won't be marketed as "blast processing!!" or anything, but if there are no jumps in graphics for the next gen, then I for sure will not be buying. What would be the point? I don't need my xbox to deliver content, I get it easier through other means. I just want games, pure and simple. And if they aren't going to look better than Skyrim or RAGE, then there i ...

Graphics an easy way to differentiate from the previous generation, and there's bound to be some improvement simply because the chips will be more affordable now. But it's likely the upgrade will be more marginal than some gamers would like as console companies try to push hardware from a different angle (touchscreen! Kinect! etc.)

Antimatter:I think there will be a jump, but it won't be as massive as the ps2 to ps3 or psp to vita jumps. Better textures, lighting, etc. What will be major is the subtle things, like physics, level sizes, etc, due to increased ram and more advanced processors.

Also, with third generation online networks, we may see more focus on social stuff, which even nintendo is jumping on. I think we'll also see more indie game developers publishing on their networks, if sony and ms can get their act together. Stuff like playstation mobile gives me hope for that.

Actually, if we got the same graphics but with absolutely massive levels with tons more NPC's and smarter AI, I change my mind; I'd buy that.

lemurs:Sony can't afford another money-losing PS3 debacle, and I don't think Microsoft is in the mood to take another big hit on launch hardware, so it's likely none of the next generation consoles will be massive leaps forward.

No way. It's been 6/7 years. Hardware has come so far since the 360 and PS3 were first released that a new console could be a massive leap forward AND not have to be such a loss-leader in terms of price.

In the case of the PS3, a huge portion of that price was due to the Blu-Ray player. Those are cheap, now, and even if they try some new storage medium, it's highly unlikely that it would be anywhere near the cost. Same goes for the Cell processor they rolled with.

As a former PS Vita owner, and current PSP Go owner, I can say that Sony Computer Entertainment's only problem is-- as usual- their arrogance. They believe they can TELL the consumer what they want, and they will lap it up eagerly. They do not respond to requests, nor do they aim to please the American audience. They consider the Japanese gamers' interests, give them what Sony says they need, and do everything they can to insert a proprietary format of some sort into the new device so that gamers will be forced to re-purchase things they already have (games, memory sticks, etc.)

...And then they are "disappointed" that gamers didn't "see what they were trying to do for them."

And here's the bummer of the whole thing: Both the PS Vita and PSP Go are great pieces of hardware. That's not the problem. The problem is that Sony gave them both proprietary/limited access to memory, software, and applications, and wouldn't allow things as basic as transferring already-purchased games into the new hardware. That was just arrogance. They believed we'd buy all our old PSOne and PSP games again... And we won't. We're not that stupid.

I hated the idea of the PSP Go when it hit the market. It was too expensive, required M2 cards instead of Memory Stick Pro Duo or Micro SD (and M2 was expensive at the time), and required purchases to be made from the device (or the PS3) in the Playstation Store... Meaning if I found a cheap PSP game at a retail store, it was useless to me; I had to pay Sony's asking price, and there was no competition or overstock to make them drive their prices down.

However, now that the PSP Go has been pulled from shelves, and the PSP platform has been essentially retired to push the PS Vita, I'm finding some good prices on games at the Playstation Store. I got the Go used from Gamestop (yeah, yeah, I know) for $70 and that was totally worth it. It even came with a memory card in it (which I assume was an oversight by Gamestop). It's a solid piece of hardware, it's fun, it's compact, and I enjoy it immensely. I was able to pick up accessories for it in the clearance aisles of most retail stores, and thus got an official Sony PSP Go case for $1.00 and a replacement AC adapter for $4.00 (just in case I need it).

And of course, Playstation Plus has thrown a few "free" games my way, too.

So the problem wasn't the hardware: It was how Sony marketed it, and how they priced it and all the accessories and games. It was how they TOLD me I was going to have to re-purchase games at full price. It's a great little console, but it was doomed because Sony's greed and arrogance turned people away at the gate.

And now, the same is going on with the Vita. It's an AWESOME piece of hardware. Unfortunately, it has a handful of games (and it's been out for quite a while now), many of which are just Vita versions of PSP or iOS games. It has limited apps (which is a real shame because the touch screen is excellent), it still doesn't support Flash (which makes the browser less useful, despite what Apple fans say), and the Vita games are WAY overpriced. It won't play PSOne classics yet, but there's an update coming that will allow "certain" PSOne classics to work on the Vita... Again, Sony is telling us what we want, instead of giving us what we ask for.

Oh, and don't even get me started on their proprietary Vita memory card that runs around $100 for 32GB and $30 for 16GB.

And so what's happening here? Vitas are sitting on shelves. They're going into resale shops. They're dormant and people are getting sick of using a $300 console to play PSP games and souped-up versions of 99-cent iOS games (really, they want $15 for Plants vs. Zombies and $40 for Hot Shots Golf? Not happening.)

I sold mine. I hated to let it go because the hardware is just so sweet, but I bought it second-hand, and now I understand why the guy sold it--- There's just nothing happening on Vita right now, and even with the few decent-looking titles on the horizon (which will be $50 each, and not at all what I consider fair pricing for a portable game) it's a loser system.

...But it will be awesome when they discontinue it, mark them down to get rid of them, and start slashing prices on games and accessories.

I adore my PS3. I switched from Xbox 360 because I liked what Sony was doing with PS3 (especially the whole "not having to pay for a yearly Live subscription just to use my Netflix subscription" part of it).

If Sony and Microsoft don't realize that pricing DOES matter, and having games that appeal to western gamers DOES matter, they'll have dead systems. Microsoft did well because they did focus on western gamers, but now they're getting sloppy and focusing too heavily on Kinect and first-person shooters on rails (neither of which appeals to me very much). Sony keeps cranking out games that are more like interactive movies-- Watch a long cinema, then press a few buttons, then watch another cinema (the Japanese love this shiat... I don't know why. I want to PLAY games, not watch them.) -- And games like Fallout, Skyrim, GTA IV, Red Dead Redemption, Assassin's Creed, Arkham Asylum and Mass Effect are few and far between.

I like motion controls... But I don't want every game to use them. I like stories in my games, but I want to be more involved than just press the button that's shown on screen when I'm prompted. I like cool graphics, but I want to be dazzled by gameplay and can forgive half-assed graphics if the game is FUN.

The next consoles had better focus on me as an adult gamer. I'm the one with the money. The kids aren't shelling out $300 for a console-- I am. Sony and Microsoft would be wise to remember that Atari 2600-era gamers are ranging into our 40s and 50s now. We're still playing games, guys. Try to grow with us.

ZeroCorpse:And here's the bummer of the whole thing: Both the PS Vita and PSP Go are great pieces of hardware. That's not the problem. The problem is that Sony gave them both proprietary/limited access to memory, software, and applications, and wouldn't allow things as basic as transferring already-purchased games into the new hardware. That was just arrogance. They believed we'd buy all our old PSOne and PSP games again... And we won't. We're not that stupid.

You don't have to rebuy ether of those...downloaded versions of psp games work fine, and psone games will just need to be redownloaded once the patch comes out, provided the rom has been updated to support the vita.

ZeroCorpse:And now, the same is going on with the Vita. It's an AWESOME piece of hardware. Unfortunately, it has a handful of games (and it's been out for quite a while now), many of which are just Vita versions of PSP or iOS games. It has limited apps (which is a real shame because the touch screen is excellent), it still doesn't support Flash (which makes the browser less useful, despite what Apple fans say), and the Vita games are WAY overpriced. It won't play PSOne classics yet, but there's an update coming that will allow "certain" PSOne classics to work on the Vita... Again, Sony is telling us what we want, instead of giving us what we ask for.

Also, that's not true ether, most are new games altogether, or multiplatform games. The number of converted ios games is pretty low, and there are no vita versions of psp games, whatever that means.

As for the certain psone classics, I imagine they have to update the roms to allow the vita to see them, as they probably had some platform sensing code to keep them from working on non ps3/psp devices. Hopefully they get them all patched asap, i've got a few i'd like to pick up again.

I don't think you seriously know anything about the platform or its plans. Hell, you based hot shots, and it's one of the best entries in the series by far. Hell, its not even $300, it;'s a $250 handheld.

Next console I buy better have a keyboard and mouse as well as a joypad, a proper monitor output, upgradeable graphics, ram, and processor, the ability to run older games with an emulator if needed, be jailbroken out of the box, upgradable hard drive and lots of games to play.

sure haven't:AdamK: lemurs: Sony can't afford another money-losing PS3 debacle, and I don't think Microsoft is in the mood to take another big hit on launch hardware, so it's likely none of the next generation consoles will be massive leaps forward.

hell sony's already experiencing another money losing debacle in the vita (i have one, love playing it even more than the 3ds, but i'm not delusional)

the reality is that content-delivery-convenience has trumped tech for 7 years, it's the entire reason these 7 year old consoles are still doing okay despite looking like dogshiat compared to PC gaming since 2007

the very reason people bought consoles over better tech 7 years ago-and-counting is the very same reason people are buying ipads and downloading games, the things that made the Wii so appealing are the same things that make touchscreens so appealing, etc. etc., the things that made the ps2 and wii and ds far outsell their respective competitors are still around just being used by different companies

graphics are nice and all, but the days of consoles keeping up with PC are gone, as are the days that graphics are the #1 selling point of non-PC devices, if anything the next playstation and xbox are going to downplay the importance of graphics as the sole reason to upgrade - you'll be buying the best content delivery device rather than the best tech and i think in the long run that's all people will really care about (besides, the number of times people's expectations are hurt vs. exceeded in the realm of console graphics hype usually always favors hurt)

I disagree in part, I think graphics will play a major part still. It won't be marketed as "blast processing!!" or anything, but if there are no jumps in graphics for the next gen, then I for sure will not be buying. What would be the point? I don't need my xbox to deliver content, I get it easier through other means. I just want games, pure and simple. And if they aren't going to look better than Skyrim or RAGE, then there i ...

not saying graphics won't get better, the Wii U's GPU already does a lot of stuff better than what's in the PS3/360 and will age well despite not being the number cruncher people want it to be, and same goes for whatever the playstation/xbox will be in the future - the difference is that graphics aren't going to be the selling point anymore - this has already largely been true for years now but will be more obvious when the other 2 consoles come out

Has this fecker researched anything? Does he look at the news? The Xbox720 overview that was leaked, the Durango Development kit, its sale on ebay... That fella from EA saying he has already seen the new XBox and thd the PS4... fark me... some people